When Detroit sportswriter Mitch Albom heard his favorite college professor, whom he hadn't seen in 20 years, was dying of Lou Gehrig's disease, he renewed their friendship through weekly meetings. In his best-selling book, Tuesdays with Morrie, Albom describes their visits, focusing on his old professor's wit and insights.

During one of their conversations, Mitch asked Morrie Schwartz why he bothered following the news since he wouldn't be around to see how things would turn out anyway. In response, Morrie offered a brilliant insight into empathy:

It's hard to explain, Mitch. Now that I'm suffering I feel closer to people who suffer than I ever did before. The other night on TV I saw people in Bosnia running across the street, getting fired on, killed, innocent victims…and I just started to cry. I feel their anguish as if it were my own. I don't know any of these people. But—how can I put this?—I'm almost drawn to them.

Jesus understands our sufferings in a special way since he himself suffered.